Thank you for your continued support. I sincerely appreciate it. Here is another attempt at moving along this story.
I do not own Merlin or the characters.
It's been three months since Gwen and the twins moved into their new home, on Morganna's huge property.
The two M's and especially Arthur, were completely overjoyed about it.
The kids had settled in their new school, and Gwen was just getting the hang of her new job.
As expected, the office was abuzz with harmless gossip, about Morganna's new P.A, but other than a few jealous stares by a couple of female employees, everything seemed to be going well.
Things were definitely looking up between her and Arthur, and for his part, he had no qualms in showing his softer side to her, whether they were at work or not.
Everyone could see exactly what he felt for her, whenever he came into contact with her.
This day was no different.
Gwen got into work early.
She arrived before Morganna, most of the staff and of course the CEO, Arthur.
She was just about to start the process of organizing an upcoming conference, when Arthur walked in.
She smelt his familiar fragrance, even before she saw him.
Her breath hitched at the sight of him. She was so lost in staring at him, she didn't register the way he took her in from head to toe.
He walked slowly, but purposely towards her, his eyes never leaving her, and came to a stop directly in front of her.
His quiet "Good morning Guinevere," and sweet kiss on her cheek, broke the trance, leaving her with a sheepish smile on her face.
Shyly, she ducked her head, as her face heated in embarrassment. Noting this, Arthur bent, trying to make contact with her at eye level.
"Gui-ne-vere," he playfully said, drawing out her name. He saw her smile and he in turn smiled.
"Aren't you going to say good morning to me?" Gwen's cheeks flamed even more. She slowly lifted her eyes to his and softly said,
"Good morning Arthur."
Arthur stood then, towering over her. He reached for her hand and held it in his, rubbing his thumb over the back of it. He locked eyes with her, and with as much flourish as a gallant knight, he softly kissed her hand.
"Now, that wasn't so hard was it?"
Gwen was sure that her face was a different shade by now, and what made it worse, was, the other office employees had begun to filter in and was witnessing the entire thing.
She looked around shyly, seeing them trying to discreetly go about their business, all except for Morgana's old P.A, Mithian Green, who was blatantly staring at her, and not in a good way.
She quickly turned and locked eyes with Arthur, who seemed oblivious to all that was taking place around them, and quietly answered,
"No Arthur. It wasn't."
Still in his playful mood, Arthur reached out and started playing with her long curly hair. She had it tamed into a pony tail with a few strands left out on either side of her face.
"So, do you and the kids have anything planned for this weekend?"
Gwen thought for a bit. She ran through the days in her head, noting that it was Wednesday, and saw nothing planned for the next few days. She locked eyes with him again.
"No, I believe we have the entire weekend free."
Arthur released the strand of hair he was playing with and excitedly rubbed his hands.
"Excellent! How about the three of you, come over to mines and we turn our weekend into a fun filled one?" Gwen was intrigued.
"What do you have in mind Arthur Pendragon?" she asked, with eyes narrowed almost to slits.
A smile lit up Arthur's handsome face. He stepped further into her personal space and said,
"Well, if you guys want to, you're welcomed to come over from Friday evening and for Saturday, I thought we could do a pool day...now that the weather is nice. We could use the outdoor pool, do some grilling and have a movie marathon in the evening...and, on Sunday, you and the kids get to decide what we should do."
A smile blossomed on Gwen's lovely face.
"Sounds wonderful! I'm quite sure the kids will love it. Thank you Arthur."
Allowing his hand to drift to her slender waist, he lightly squeezed it and softly replied,
"No need to thank me Guinevere. If you haven't guessed it by now, let me tell you. You're very special to me...you and the kids. I really enjoy spending time with you all...and...I'm falling for you Guinevere, have been since I first met you all the way back in December.
It's almost eight months since I first laid eyes on you, and my feelings have grown and are growing, more and more everyday. Right now, there isn't anything I wouldn't do for you or the kids."
Gwen didn't even realize she was crying until Arthur's hands were on her sweet face, wiping away her tears.
"Don't cry Guinevere. I didn't mean to make you sad," he said. Just as he pulled her into his arms, the two M's arrived.
As Morganna stepped through the doors of their company, with Merlin in tow, the first thing that caught her eyes, was the sight of her former P.A, Mithian Green, staring daggers at someone, or something.
Looking in the direction of where she was staring, Morganna noticed her brother and Gwen locked in an intimate conversation, with Arthur just about ready to kiss her.
Locking eyes with Merlin, she conveyed in a silent conversation, her thoughts about the situation at hand. With a slight nod in understanding, Merlin moved towards his boss and best friend, whilst Morganna moved towards Mithian.
In an icy tone, Morganna Pendragon chastised her former P.A and left her with a warning.
"Mithian, it's not polite to stare. I know that...and I'm sure you know that too. I don't think Arthur would take it too kindly, if he knew you were eavesdropping on his conversation and staring shamelessly all the while. Whatever you are thinking and concocting in that head of yours, I suggest you forget it. Arthur might go easy on you, but I won't. Now, get to work."
With that, Morganna proceeded to her office and threw her stuff down on her desk.
It was no secret, Mithian has always had eyes for Arthur. She came from the same social circles as him and Morganna, but with a very stern, hardworking father.
Anthony Green believes in achieving by the sweat of your brow, therefore, his daughter was taught to work for what she wanted.
Yes, she was privileged, she never lacked for anything, her needs were taken care of, but, in her father's eyes, nothing beats hard work and dedication.
She wasted her years at college, partying and chasing after guys, and of course Arthur, to no avail. Her father stood firm, and after almost dis-inheriting her, gave her the choice of working for him or elsewhere.
She chose Pendragon Inc to escape his scrutinizing eye, but also to get closer to Arthur. In the time that she has been employed there, not once has Arthur returned her advances.
He isn't oblivious, far from it. He just chooses to keep his distance, just like he did in college.
Some of the other office employees also keeps her at arms length, whilst being civil towards her, others loathe her behavior and stay clear of her.
After her dressing down, she angrily walked to her desk with her head held high, and got to work.
Meanwhile, Merlin had quietly approached Arthur and Gwen, greeted them and discreetly got them into Arthur's office, closing the door behind them.
He then made his way towards his girlfriend's office, hoping that she had calmed sufficiently.
Inside, he found her, just as she had finished sorting her mail, and sat looking at a particular piece, with a scowl on her lovely face.
Advancing slowly, he came to a stop in front of her, on the other side of her desk.
"What is it Morgs?" he asked.
Morganna lifted her eyes to his, spinning the letter between her fingers. She hesitated for a beat before answering him.
"It's a letter for Gwen...from Lance..." She left the sentence hanging, seeing Merlin putting two and two together.
"Oh." A dumbfounded Merlin answered. He went on. "I wonder what he wants." Morganna absently replied,
"Me too." She shifted and stood, pacing back and forth, her mind racing.
"According to Gwen, he hasn't made contact for almost five years. I don't think the twins even remember him. Oh Merlin, I hope there is nothing in here to upset Gwen and the kids, now that their lives have taken shape."
A concerned Merlin moved towards his girlfriend and pulled her into his arms. He lightly kissed her forehead and softly said,
"Let's not worry. Gwen and the kids are in a good place, with good people surrounding them. I know Arthur would take on the world for her and the twins, so whatever is in that letter, won't matter. We have their backs, always."
Morganna hugged Merlin as tight as she could, drawing strength from his words and knowing that everything he said was the absolute truth.
She pulled back after a few seconds and planted a loud kiss on his lips.
"Thank you Merlin. You're the best. As soon as my brother lets Gwen go, I will give her this."
He returned her kiss and made his way to the exit, just as a soft knock sounded on the door.
Merlin opened the door to a flushed looking Gwen. He brought her to him, kissed her forehead and just as he stepped outside, said "Have a good day," and disappeared.
Gwen was taken aback, but in a good way. She smiled happily after her sweet friend and greeted her boss .
"Morning Morgs. How are you today?"
Morganna's face broke into a huge smile. Everyday has been wonderful since Gwen came to work for her. She carries out her duties happily and efficiently. Training her was a breeze. She caught on quickly, and knows her job inside out. She's a great conversationalist and always comes up with good ideas.
"Good morning Gwennie. I am well. I don't have to ask, because I can see for myself, that you are more than well."
Gwen chuckled. She shyly lowered her head as her face heated.
"Yes I am, Morgs. I feel very well," she quietly said. Just then, a cheeky grin enveloped Morganna's face.
"Well...from what I saw this morning...I know a certain blue eyed prat has something to do with it. Honestly Gwen, you have made him more polished and more happy than he's ever been. Thank you for that."
Gwen lifted her eyes to her friend, seeing the jest disappear from her face. She felt touched by her words.
"Thank you Morgs, for sharing your beliefs. I'm not sure if I've made that much of an impact on Arthur, but I know he has definitely made one on me and the kids."
They went backwards and forwards on the subject for a while, until they both decided to accept each others' reasoning.
As Gwen moved to take up her duties for the day, Morganna called to her, halting her actions.
"Gwen, this came in the mail for you," she said, handing the letter over.
Before her move, Gwen had made arrangements for all of her mail to be forwarded to her current address. She accepted the letter, with a quiet "Thank you," and proceeded to place it on top of the items to take to her desk.
Seeing Lance's name on the letter, surprised her, sparked her curiosity, and also brought about a sense foreboding.
She, however, remained attentive to her boss, as she planned their day accordingly.
As Morganna rattled off her plans for the day and assigned Gwen her duties, she mentally berated herself for wanting to know what the letter entailed.
She wasn't trying to be nosy, far from it, she just felt apprehensive and a bit worried for her friend.
Minutes later, Gwen sat at her desk in deep concentration, reading the contents of said letter.
It read,
My dearest Gwen. I hope this letter finds you and the kids in good health. I miss you...all of you. Life has been fairly kind to me, I hope it has been the same for you. There isn't a day that goes by, that I haven't thought about you...and regretted my actions. I'm sorry Gwen. I know it sounds lame, but I truly am sorry. Two years ago, my life was at an all-time low. My mum passed and I still haven't made contact with my father. I really wished the kids had gotten to know her and vice versa...that also is my fault, and I hope to explain it all to them, in due time of course. What are they like? Do they still look like me? I have missed out on so much with them. They don't even know me. Anyway, I wrote to inform you that I will be returning to the U.K soon, and I would like to come and see you...and the kids. Are you still at the same place? I hope that you haven't moved on. I know that it's selfish of me to say that, but...I still love you Gwen... I haven't stop...don't know how to. I implore you to please consider my words and if you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I would be grateful. I think this might be a second chance for us in the making...at least I hope it is. Until we meet, this comes from a place of love. Sincerely, Lance.
After re-reading it, she calmly folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope.
Confusion clouded her thoughts, but she was determined not to let Lance Wallenza ruin her day. She took one look at the letter again, tossed it into the drawer of her desk and got to work.
That's it for this installment. It looks as though Arthur and Gwen will have their hands full, thanks to Lance and Mithian. As usual, I hope this was good enough.